This invention relates to joystick actuators.
Joystick actuators are used in a number of applications in which accurate manual control of an electrical, mechanical or hydraulic system is required, generally in two dimensions. Such joystick actuators have a handle adapted to be grasped by the operator and to be manipulated in order to vary an electrical output signal from the actuator in such a manner as to control the system in a manner determined by operator actuation. It is known for such joystick actuators to incorporate potentiometers or sensing coils for providing an output signal dependent on the position, or the rate of movement, of the handle. However such known arrangements suffer from the fact that they incorporate wearing parts and/or are costly to manufacture.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved joystick actuator which can be produced in a straightforward manner and which is capable of a long service life.
The invention is defined by the accompanying claims.
It should be understood that the term xe2x80x9clightxe2x80x9d is used in this specification to denote electromagnetic radiation within a wide range of wavelengths and is not limited to wavelengths within the visible spectrum.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred embodiment of joystick actuator in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.